Compartment for a stack of sheet-like record carriers



April 16, 1968 JONG"DOK KIM COMPARTMENT FOR A STACK OF SHEET-LIKE RECORD CARRIERS Filed June 1.7. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR c/0ny-0o, A4??? BY gcew ATTYS.

April 16, 1968 JONG-DOK KIM 3,373,253

COMPARTMENT FOR A STACK OF SHEET-LIKE RECORD CARRIERS Filed June l7, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet .3

VIII

INVENTOR c/ony -0a M??? ATTYS.

United States Patent 3,373,2ss COMPARTMENT FOR A STACK OF SHEET-LIKE RECORD CARRIERS Jong-Dok Kim, Munich, Germany, assignor to Siemens Akticngescllschaft, Munich, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed .Furle 17, 1966, Ser. No. 558,312 Claims priority, application Germany, June 29, 1965,

S 97,879 5 Claims. (Cl. 271-62) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for filing or removing sheet-like record carriers in or from a stack thereof, disposed in a compartment having a vertically movable bottom wall on which the stack of record carriers is supported, to which wall is operatively connected spring means constructed to exert a supporting force thereon, with an expansible air chamber operatively connected to the bottom wall and constructed to provide an adjustable supplementary supporting force thereon in dependence upon the air pressure in said chamber, the bellows being connected to a pressure source, and controlled by a control valve disposed between such pressure source and the bellows, the latter having a nozzle connected thereto, adjacent the inlet opening at which atmospheric pressure exists, sensing means being disposed adjacent said nozzle having a portion cooperable with a stack of record carriers disposed on the bottom wall, operative to vary the air flow through said nozzle in dependence upon the distance between a cooperable record carrier transport device and the upper face of such a stack.

THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a device for raising or lowering a staple or stack of sheet-like record carriers. It is the function of feeding and delivery devices of data processing machines, ofiice machines, letter sorting machines, etc., to take sheet-like record carriers from a stack or to file them in a stack. For this purpose, it is necessary that the uppermost record carrier be disposed in operative relation to the transport mechanism. However, as the stacks, dependent upon the particular operation, do not present a constant height, a constant distance of the upper face of the pile from the transport device must be effected by means of special devices for producing a follow-up action.

In a known arrangement this is obtained by a movable member, forming the bottom of the compartment, which is driven by a motor through a spindle. The upper face of the pile is scanned by optical means which controls the motor. The disadvantage of this arrangement resides in the fact that, in order to amplify the optical signals, relatively expensive devices are required.

Another known measure for maintaining the distance between the transport means and upper face of the stack constant embodies a helical spring to which the com partment bottom is attached and thereby is vertically shiftable. The helical spring has a spring constant which maintains the upper face of the stack at a constant height for any position of the bottom, independent of the number of record carriers. Such simple device fulfills its purpose when the record carriers are continually of the same character, for example, punch cards. However, it fails when the record carriers involved have different specific weights or diiferent sizes, because in that case the combination of the spring movement and stack height are no longer constant.

It is, therefore, the purpose of the invention to pro- 3,378,253 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 duce a device which does not contain the disadvantages present in the known devices. In accomplishing this result, the principle of constructing the compartment bottom of a filing compartment in such a way that it is movable in vertical direction by a helical spring is retained.

The invention is characterized by the feature that, in addition to the helical spring, at least one bellows, which may be of pleated or corrugated form, acts upon the compartment bottom, with the bellows being connected with a controllable pressure source.

In an advantageous development, the embodiment of the invention is designed to provide a complete regulation cycle.

An example of construction embodying the invention is illustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates an application of the device illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the embodiment illustrated comprises a filing compartment M in which a stack of record carriers St is disposed, the compartment bottom F forming the lower limit of the pile. Such compartment bottom rests upon helical spring K, the latter in the embodiment illustrated being in the form of a compression spring, and is surrounded by an airtight pleated or corrugated bellows B which is connected with a suction device S through an adjustable control valve D1 and a pressure-reducing valve V1. Connected between the bellows B and control valve D1, is a conduit branch which extends to a nozzle Dii through a valve V2 (which may be of the on-oif type), with atmospheric pressure existing at the exterior of such nozzle. Disposed in front of the nozzle opening is an arm of an angle lever H which is arranged for pivotal movement about a pivot structure G. The other arm of the angle lever H has a wedge-shaped sensing head T which is laterally disposed close to the upper face of the stack. The sensing head T is so shaped that it will be swung horizontally by a vertical movement of the stack. In addition, it is so constructed that during this operation it will not disturb the handling of the record carriers, i.e., filing or withdrawal. For the insertion or withdrawal of a stack of record carriers, valve V2 is initially closed so that the full pressure reduction acts upon the pleated bellows B, responsive to which the compartment bottom moves downward. By means of the adjustable control valve D1, the lowering speed may be adjusted. For a finer adjustment of the required pressure reduction and for matching to a particular suction device, a pressure-reducing valve V1 is provided. After the record carriers have been deposited, valve V2 is opened and the line to nozzle D12 is likewise open. Since this nozzle is lying close to atmospheric pressure, a mixed pressure which is no longer sufiicient to compress the helical spring, now exists in the bellows. The spring, therefore, moves the compartment bottom upward until the upper edge of the pile touches the scanning head T. As a result thereof the angle lever is pivoted, moving toward the nozzle opening so that the air intake rate is reduced. As a result, the pressure in the pleated bellows drops until an equilibrium between spring pressure and the reduced air pressure exists. If the number of record carriers is changed by a transport device, not shown in the drawing, angle lever I-I, being in mechanical contact with the upper edge of the stack, is pivoted and influences the pressure in the pleated bellows B, in the above described manner, until a new equilibrium is formed between spring force and reduced air pressure. The operating distance of the upper face of the pile with respect to a reference point, for example from the upper edge of the filing compartment M or from a transport device, is adjusted by varying the distance b and adjustment of the valve D2.

The proportional factor of the regulation is determined by the distance a between nozzle opening and axis of the pivot G. The lever controlling the flow of air may also be arranged in a different manner, for example immediately above the pile, according to the manner of filing or withdrawal operation. In another embodiment of the invention, the pleated bellows need not enclose the helical spring, but may act directly upon the compartment bottom independently of the spring. An advantage of the invention, when used as a filing compartment resides in the fact that existing brake means, for example a leaf spring, may exert constant pressure on the upper face of the stack.

FIG. 2 illustrates the application of the invention to a machine, for example, a sorting machine wherein the record carrier may be deposited in either of several filing trays. In the example illustrated, the record carriers are initially disposed in a stack within a compartment constructed in accordance with the present invention, wherein the top sheet of the stack is maintained at a predetermined elevation, from which it is withdrawn by roller means. Numerous nozzles or orifices for the withdrawal or discharge of air are utilized, the direction of air flow being indicated by arrows associated therewith. In this arrangement an air discharge nozzle Di is disposed to discharge air toward the stack adjacent the top thereof, with the discharge duration being predetermined to the direction of the stack formation. Thus the leading edge portion of the top sheet of the stack is drawn upwardly by an air-withdrawal nozzle positioned thereabove into engagement with the discharge roller, a similar nozzle being disposed at the opposite side of the roller to raise the edge of the record carrier for engagement between two feed rollers. Three air-withdrawal nozzles are disposed at the discharge side of the rollers, two being disposed above the transport path and one therebelow. The latter nozzle is operative to draw the leading edge portion of the record carrier downwardly, whereby the carrier may be deposited in the first of two trays, while the other two nozzles are operative to maintain the leading edge portion of the carrier in elevated position for transport to the next tray. Both trays may be provided with a respective brake plate and air-withdrawal orifices. Associated with the second tray is an angle-shaped lever, additional feed rollers, and respective air nozzles or orifices for controlling the movement of the record carrier in accordance with the desired operation. By suitable control of the various air nozzles a record carrier withdrawn from the compartment can be deposited in either tray, the carrier being effectively braked in suitable manner.

Changes may be made within the scope and spirit of the appended claims which define what is believed to be new and desired to have protected by Letters Patent.

I claim:

1. A device for filing or removing sheet-like record carriers in or from a stack thereof, comprising a compartment having a vertically movable bottom wall on which the stack of record carriers is to be supported, spring means operatively connected to said bottom wall and constructed to exert a supporting force thereon, and means forming an expansible air chamber operatively connected to said bottom wall and constructed to provide an adjustable supplementary supporting force thereon in dependenece upon the air pressure in said chamber, and means for connecting said bellows to a controllable pressure source.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a helical spring, and said chamber is in the form of pleated bellows which enclose said spring.

3. A device according to claim 2, comprising in further combination, a control valve disposed between a pressure source and said bellows, a nozzle to which said bellows is connected, atmospheric pressure existing adjacent to the inlet opening of such nozzle, and sensing means disposed adjacent said nozzle and having a portion cooperable with a stack of record carriers disposed on said bottom wall, operative to vary the air flow through said nozzle, depending upon the distance between a cooperable record carrier transport device and the upper face of such a stack.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the sensing means comprises a lever which is so arranged that it can be shifted, a free end of which is provided with a sensing head, laterally disposed adjacent to the upper face of such a stack and movable by vertical movements of the stack, said lever and nozzle being so disposed with respect to each other that, upon a movement of the lever, the air intake rate at said nozzle is altered.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the lever has a greater width adjacent the nozzle opening than the corresponding dimension of the latter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner 

